His jersey number officially retired Tuesday night, former Lanier High School basketball standout Orlando Mendez-Valdez expressed his deep emotional ties to the West Side with an anecdote that drew laughter from the crowd at Lanier’s new Alumni Center.
Mendez-Valdez, a first-generation American who capped his college career at Western Kentucky with All-America honors last season, was spotlighted by reporters throughout the country as much for his compelling story as his sharp court skills.
After all, how many Hispanics have ever led their team to the NCAA Tournament and been named player of the year in their conference?
“I talked to a lot of journalists,” said Mendez-Valdez, a 6-foot-1 guard. “A lot of times, I didn’t even know who they were with.”
But there was one story that got his attention.
“The reporter wrote that I was from the South Side,” Mendez-Valdez said. “I e-mailed him and told him, ‘If you don’t change that, I won’t be able to go home.’ My heart always will be with the West Side.”
The crowd responded with a loud ovation for Mendez-Valdez, who stood at midcourt with Lanier boys basketball coach Rudy Bernal during the brief ceremony before the Voks’ season opener against Taft.
A 2004 Lanier graduate, Mendez-Valdez was presented a No. 33 Voks home jersey by Bernal. His number was retired when the Alumni Center was dedicated last month, but Bernal said then that there would be an official ceremony for Mendez-Valdez later.
Mendez-Valdez, who earned a degree in exercise science from WKU in May, has been playing professionally for the Xalapa Halcones in Mexico since August. Xalapa is the capital of Veracruz.
“It’s great to be back home,” Mendez-Valdez said after the ceremony. “I wish I could have been here for the dedication because I would have liked to have talked to some of the players from the 1940s. They played in an era when there were signs that said ‘No Mexicans allowed.’
“A lot of those guys did a lot to put cracks in the door of discrimination. We owe them a lot. I know all the tradition here at Lanier inspired me when I was a kid. I wanted to do all I could to keep cracking that door.”
Lanier won state championships in 1943 and 1945 under legendary coach Nemo Herrera, who guided the Voks to the state tournament six times during his 17-year tenure at the predominantly Hispanic school.
Snubbed by college recruiters, Mendez-Valdez starred at Charis Prep in North Carolina before signing with Western Kentucky in 2005. He earned three letters before becoming a starter last season when former Texas assistant Ken McDonald succeeded Darrin Horn as head coach.
Starting every game, Mendez-Valdez averaged 14.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists for a team that advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row.
Gonzaga beat the Hilltoppers 83-81 at the buzzer in the South Regional, but Mendez-Valdez was outstanding in his final game. Hitting 9 of 12 field-goal attempts, including 7 of 10 3-pointers, he led WKU with 25 points and seven assists.
Mendez-Valdez’s mother, Maria Guel, and five of his six siblings attended Tuesday night’s ceremony.
“It was beautiful and emotional for me,” Guel said in Spanish. “I had a knot in my throat because I thought of all that my son went through to get to where he is. I am very proud of him.”
Mendez-Valdez, who never has met his biological father, lived in the Alazan-Apache Courts housing project with his mother, four brothers and two sisters until he was a freshman at Lanier. With his mother’s blessing, Mendez-Valdez moved in with Abelardo Valdez Jr. that year and remained with him until he graduated from Lanier.
Valdez, who coached Mendez-Valdez in middle school, became his legal guardian.
“Orlando is an example of what you can become if you just work hard and persevere,” Valdez said. “You have to know what your goals are and believe in yourself.”
Mendez-Valdez credits his mother, Bernal and Valdez for giving him the guidance he needed to succeed. Known as Orlando Mendez when he starred for the Voks, he added a second surname to honor Valdez.
Mendez-Valdez has maintained a close friendship with Bernal since he graduated from Lanier.
“Coach Bernal has been very dear to me,” he said. “I’ve always valued his advice and respected his opinion. I know he’ll never sugar-coat anything. Personally, I respect him a lot.”
Mendez-Valdez, who is engaged to WKU volleyball player Aquila Orr, said he would like to be a high school basketball coach and teacher when his playing career is over.
“My college coach has talked to me about maybe coaching at Western Kentucky, but my heart is in San Antonio and high school basketball,” he said. “I believe that coaching in high school gives you the best opportunity to reach kids.”
Given his circumstances, Mendez-Valdez could have become another statistic in the sad saga of inner-city blight. But he dared to dream and challenge himself to overcome the obstacles before him. Now he wishes the same for other Hispanic kids.
“I want them to reap the rewards the world has to offer,” he said. “I look at my nieces and nephews and tell them that anything is possible through hard work. I grew up in the Alazan Courts. This is no movie or fairy tale. I want other kids to be better than I am.”
Mendez-Valdez is going to make an outstanding teacher and coach someday.
